The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Los Angeles, U.S. | Xinhua | A new study has found that apremilast, a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of psoriasis, cuts alcohol intake by more than half in people with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD).
The drug was known to block a molecule known as PDE4, which plays important roles in both immune and brain cell function. While its use in treating psoriasis is due to its immune function, basic scientific studies in mice had suggested that blocking PDE4 in the brain could reduce alcohol intake, according to a release about the study published Monday by Scripps Research.
“We’re incredibly excited to have found a drug that has such a large effect size on alcohol consumption, and with such good tolerability and safety at the same time,” said Barbara Mason, co-senior author of the study and chair and director of the Pearson Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research at Scripps Research.
About 29.5 million Americans meet the criteria for AUD, which encompasses the conditions known as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence and alcohol addiction, according to the study.
Fewer than 10 percent of people with the disorder get any treatment, and an even smaller number are prescribed medication to treat AUD, according to the study.
